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The Indiana Daily Student

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Q&A: Catching up with Tim Priller

Freshman Tim Priller waits for media to interview him in the locker room Thursday at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb.

OMAHA, Neb. — The IU locker room was open for media availability leading up to the Hoosiers' NCAA Tournament game against Wichita State.

All the players were available to chat before an open practice session. While a large horde was making its way around freshman guard James Blackmon Jr., the IDS caught up with freshman forward and fan favorite Tim Priller.

IDS: Is this a dream for you right now? The NCAA Tournament?

Priller: Well, coming to Indiana of course that’s always the expectation here is to make the Tournament. It’s just an honor to be here. It’s incredible.

IDS: Do you ever feel out of place?

Priller: No, I don’t feel out of place. I love my team. I love the coaches. I love everybody on this staff.

IDS: Does it bother you or do you like the Tim Priller mania?

Priller: It doesn’t bother me. I mean, I don’t like it too much because you could get big headed, really. You kind of just stay chill, I guess. It doesn’t really affect me either way.

IDS: Who’s your best friend on the team?

Priller: Probably Emmitt (Holt) or Jeremiah (April).

IDS: You sit by Jeremiah on the bench. What goes on in a game where maybe you don’t think you’re going to get in?

Priller: That doesn’t bother me. Coach is going to do whatever it takes to win so me and him just talk in the game, reminding people of what to do and reminding people during timeouts what they need to do to win the game.

IDS: Who’s the coach who sat behind you at the Big Ten Tournament? You’re always slapping his hand.

Priller: Oh that’s one of the managers (strength coach) Reggie (Golson.) We like to get hyped for him when we’re doing good things.

IDS: You guys get so hyped. Who was the one that started that?

Priller: We kind of all started it. We all love each other and we just get hyped for it.

IDS: I think he called you guys the “chair gang?” What’s with that?

Priller: In the United Center I don’t think you could have one of the managers on the bench, so we were getting the chairs. We just made that fun and part of it.

IDS: Whose idea was that?

Priller: Us collectively. Just the chair gang being funny.

IDS: Do you get noticed on campus?

Priller: Yeah, every now and again. People will want to get a picture every now and again.

IDS: Did you ever expect that? I mean, IU basketball players are celebrities.

Priller: I knew that, but I didn’t expect all these people to go crazy for me. I don’t know why.

IDS: Do you ever get mistaken for somebody else?

Priller: Ah, yes. Me and Collin Hartman. Me and Collin Hartman have been mistaken for one another a lot. A lot of people call me Collin sometimes.

IDS: That’s awkward. How do you get out of that?

Priller: I just tell them like, “Actually, I’m Tim.”

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